Relationship between Coffee Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults: Data from the 2013-2014 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Background: The gradually increasing demand for coffee worldwide has prompted increased interest in the relationship between coffee and health issues as well as a need for research on metabolic syndrome in adults.

Methods: Data from 3,321 subjects (1,268 men and 2,053 women) enrolled in the 2013-2014 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. The subjects were divided into three groups according to their daily coffee consumption. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for metabolic syndrome in the coffee-drinking groups were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis by adjusting for confounding variables.

Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 15.5%, 10.7%, and 9.7% in men and 3.0%, 7.1%, and 6.5% in women according to their coffee consumption (less than one, one or two, or more than three cups of coffee per day), respectively. Compared with the non-coffee consumption group, the ORs (95% CIs) for metabolic syndrome in the group that consumed more than three cups of coffee was 0.638 (0.328-1.244) for men and 1.344 (0.627-2.881) for women after adjusting for age, body mass index, household income, education, smoking, alcohol, regular exercise, and daily caloric intake.

Conclusion: The OR of metabolic syndrome was not statistically significant in both men and women.